Car-coupling



(No Model.)

B. F. SANDERS.

GAR COUPLING.

No. 350,946. Patented Oct. 19, 1886.

' G Fig.1.

B ENJA) l IX F. SAXDERS, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

CAR-COUPLING.

51 E CIFICATION f g part of Letters Patent 510350946, dated October 19, 1886.

Application filed January 2, 1586. Serial X0. 1511476. (N()I1l(lll6l.

T0 and] whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIX F. SANDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Boston, in the county of buffol k and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car-Couplings, of which the following is a specification, reference be ing hadto the accompanying drawings.

Myinvention relates to automatic couplings of that class especially designed for freightcars; and it consists in the devices and combinations hereinafter described, and specifically pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a plan, and Fig. 2 a side elevation, of parts of two cars provided with a coupling embodying my invention. Fig. 3 is a plan view of the under side of said coupling, one of the hooks being swung back. Fig. i is an end view of parts of the coupling attached to a car. Figs. 3 and 4 are drawn on a larger scale than Figs. 1 and 2.

The parts of the coupling attached to a car are like those attached to the car with which the former is or may be coupled. \Vith a car, A, is connected :1. draw-bar, B, in the usual manner. The head of the draw-bar has the ordinary one or more openings, (1, to receive the common link, and a vertical hole for the usual pin, for use when the car is to be coupled with one not provided with my improvement. I form upon the head of the draw-bar a projeclion, 1), which extends above the level of the bottom of the car to meet a block, 0, fastened to the car, which parts serve the purpose of what are commonly called the dead-blocks or dead-woods. At one side of the drawbar is pivoted to lugs d a hook, O, which is fork-shaped, having two arms, as shown. It is also so extended and the outer end carried outward with respect to the main part of the hook that it is provided with a long inclined or slightly-curved boot-shaped end part, 6. The other side of the head of the draw-bar has avertical recess,f, formed byarctroverted lip, g, to receive ahook, O. This lipgismuch longer than the width of the hook, so that the latter may be sure to be engaged thereby when the cars are to be coupled. A spiral Spring, D, is connected at one end to the under side of the hook at h, and at the other end to the draw-bar at 2', and in such position with refcaught under the opposite car.

erence to the pivot of the hook that when the hook is swung forward it will cause the same to engage with the opposite draw-bar, and when the hook is swung back it will act to hold the hook in such position. hen the hook is swung from one to the other of these positions, the spring D is carried across the pivotal line of the hook. The hook O has an arm, j, at the outer end of which is pivoted one end of a connectingrod, E. This rod is preferably made of two like parts, 7.: It, one above and the other below the arm j and the lever F, to which lever the other end of the connectingrod E is pivoted. 'lheleverFis located horizontally under the car and transverse thereto, and is pivoted to the car near its center at Z.

The lever F is bent near one end to form aver-' tical handle, in. At 0 a vertical lever, G, is bent to form a recess in which one end of the horizontal lever F may 'work, and to form a vertical handle, a. The lever (1 is pivoted to a stand, 1), on the side of the car, and extends above the car. A protecting-rail, H, may be located above the car outside the lever, as shown. A stop, I, is fixed in such position as to meet the armj to gage the distance through which the hook may swing backward. Each of the stands at Z and p and the stop I, I profor to make of a strip of wrought-iron bent back upon itself, as shown. A vertical inclined brace, J, is fastened in such position as to meet the inclined part c of the hook and prevent the same from being jammed too far and The hook C may be swung back, so that it will not engage with the opposite draw-bar, or be swung forward to engage therewith by a person on the car by means of the lever (l, or by a person on the ground, at either side of the car, by means of the lever F, as will be readily understood. After the hook has been swung forward it will engage automatically with the opposite draw-bar when the cars are moved onetoward the other, the hook being swung outward by means of the opposite drawbar pressing against the inclined or boot-shaped part 0 until it may be swung into by the spring D. The end 6 of the hook being quite long, a wide range is provided for, so that the cars may be coupled easily and surely even on curves or switches. The lipf being longer the recess 1" than the width of the hook, ample allowance is made for variation in height of the ears. One hook would be sufficient in ordinary cases for coupling the two cars; but the two hooks make the fastening doubly sure. It will be seen that there is no necessity for a person to ever go between the cars to couple or uncouple the same.

I am aware that the hook has heretofore been pivoted at the side of the draw-bar; but I consider my arrangement superior to that of any previous device, since the hook is so constructed and the pivot so located that the hook may be swung back, as illustrated, and may be held by means of the spring in either position specified.

I claim as my invention 1. In a car-coupling, the combination, with a draw-bar, of a hook, O, pivoted at the side of the draw-bar, and a spiral spring l), fastened to the hook and to the draw-bar; and so located with reference to the pivot of the hook that it will be swung across said pivot when the hook is swung from one to the other of its forward or backward positions, and hence will hold the hook in either of said positions, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. The combination of the hookG, pivoted to the draw-bar, and having an arm, j, connecting-rod E, and levers E and G, the lever G being pivoted on the side of the car and bent at the lower end to form a recess, 0, and a vertical handle, n, and the lever F being pivoted under the car. and formed at one end to work in said recess and bent at the otherend to form a vertical handle, m, substantially as described.

3. In a car-coupling, the combination of a draw-bar, a hook, C, pivoted at the side of the draw-bar, a connecting-rod, E, and alever, F, pivoted under the car, about midway, and located transverse to the car, substantially as and a I for the purposes specified.

4. The combination of a draw-bar, C, pivoted thereto, a connecting-rod, E, a lever, F, pivoted under the car, and a lever,G, pivoted about midway on the side of the ear, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. In a car-coupling, in combination with a draw-bar and a hook pivoted at the side thereof, the vertical inclined brace J, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

BENJAMIN F. SANDERS.

\Vitnesses EDW. DUMMER, ROBERT BRINE.

a hook, 

